Category: Entrepreneurs

Born on January 8, 1958, Betsy DeVos, has been in the forefront in reforming the education system. Besides being a reformist, DeVos is a businesswoman as well as an activist who currently serve as the 11th US Secretary of Education. She is a holder of a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Calvin College in Grand Rapids. Her interest in education and reforms that assist underserved children started at an early age inspired by her mother who was a public teacher. Before being appointed to the senate, DeVos was an in-school mentor for close to 15 years for children considered as high-risk in Michigan Public Schools. It’s from this movement that she has worked her way up in creating equal opportunities for more children in America. She also served in various other leadership positions such as chairman of The Windquest Group and as a board member of local charitable groups for example ArtPrize and Kendall College of Arts and design. In her position as the secretary of education, she hopes to give parents greater power in choosing their educational standards. Further, she also hopes to advocate for a return of education control both in the states as well as in the localities by ensuring higher education achieves the dream of successful careers to every student. She terms her success as seeing every parent access opportunities to select the best educational settings regardless of their zip code.

Philanthropic Work

Through the Dick and Betsy Family Foundation, Devos endeavors to cultivate leadership skills mainly in education, community, justice, and equality as well as arts. I am impressed by the huge donations by the organization for example, in 2015, DeVos Foundation contributed $11.6 million that enabled the foundation rank in position 24 of America’s top givers in the Forbes. This donation was made to arts organizations, evangelical mission as well as art organizations. Among her other donations is the DeVos’ gift to Kennedy Center to train leaders involved in hiring artists as well as running the organization.

The gift of $22.5 million given through DeVos Institute of Arts Management would go a long way in providing a practical yet creative way in developing human capital.How does she divide the time to attend to her charity work as well as other office duties? She explains that it’s all about the holistic effort from her and the husband in engaging public-policy advocacy. She further states that she spends more time advocating for the need for more donors to help bring a difference in different areas. I can only imagine a society that has at least ten ‘DeVos’ and how successful the society would be. It remains interesting to see the next huge steps by DeVos in terms of philanthropy which seems to be her passion motivated by faith and marks of excellence.

Betsy DeVos has many enviable titles. Businesswoman, reformer and government bureaucrat are all terms used to describe her. In her storied professional career that spans over three decades, she has served in various capacities in political movements, private business and the education sector. Arguably her most befitting title, however, is a philanthropist. The soft-spoken billionaire has been in the business of giving, together with her husband, for decades now.In a recent interview published in Philanthropy Roundtable, Mrs. DeVos opened up her motivations, experiences, and outlook for her philanthropy. As a professional, either serving in a political capacity, Mrs. DeVos always looked to combine innovation and social change. While working in the education sector, Mrs. DeVos realized that there was a great opportunity there to effect lasting social change through innovation. The public school system, as it were, was not working well. Therefore, as a woman of means and a mother to school-going children, Mrs. DeVos decided to start supporting students and schools in desperate needs of resources.

This support initially kicked off with the provision of a few scholarships at one school then quickly grew when the DeVos family created a foundation and Mr. DeVos, her husband, was elected to the State Education Board in Michigan in 1990. While the scholarships provided opportunities to a great number of students who would have otherwise lacked a quality education, Mrs. DeVos soon realized that scholarships could only do so much. There was a greater need for policy reforms that would permanently address the educational challenges in America. And thus began her involvement in education reform all around the country; a move that has since yielded some significant successes for the benefit of needy and knowledge-hungry children everywhere.Much of Mrs. DeVos’ philanthropic work has been conducted through the Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation. Together with her husband, Dick DeVos, she founded this charitable organization close to four decades ago.

The Foundation’s primary objectives are facilitating the development of arts, community, education, and justice. Additionally, with the DeVos’ being devout Christians, the Foundation’s activities are partially motivated by faith. The Foundation is one of the biggest family-owned charities in the country with well over $100 million being doled out by the charity it since its formation in 1989. In 2015 alone tax forms placed the money donated by the Foundation to various institutions and organizations at an approximate figure of $10 million. Today, Mrs. DeVos is helping educate close to a quarter of a million children in various types of schools spread across 17 states in the country and the District of Columbia.Many organizations have over the years taken note of Mrs. DeVos’ philanthropic and reformist nature and, as a consequence decided to appoint her to their boards. She serves on the boards of the Foundation for Excellence in Education and Kids Hope USA, among other organizations.

Born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, Dr. Akhil Reddy always had a passion for helping people and even joining Red Cross as a young boy. He has a B.S in Biological Sciences from the University of Pacific and a doctorate of Dental Surgery from School of Dentistry in the same University. He later started practicing dentistry in Dallas, Texas. As a dental practitioner, Dr. Akhil believes all human beings regardless of their social-economic background, should have access to the best dental care. Dr. Akhil Reddy enjoys coaching and mentoring upcoming dentists who are still early in their careers.Started in 2009, MB2 Dental has around sixty dental offices all over the country with over seventy-five employees.

It is a dental organization that offers services to dentists by giving them resources and the ability to make use of their skills in different parts of the United States. According to the dentist, his inspiration came from his early childhood where he was interested in the practical aspects of life and his need to help others. His fantasies came to reality after he acquired his first degree and it became apparent that he was meant to be a dentist.When asked where he gets his revenue, Dr. Akhil says that he majors in dental practice and consultancy. He also admits that early in his career, he had capital problems and took him a long time to earn his first profit due to challenges like staffing. Talking of marketing, Dr. Akhil Reddy praises the internet for providing a platform for the business existence that allows patients to find them quickly and provide feedback on their services. He compares the internet to the word-of-mouth marketing that he used when he was new to the business.

Early in his career, Dr. Akhil recalls of an incident where he bought a practice, and when it did not fulfill his expectations, he sold it at a loss. He had to go ups and downs to become one of the most sought after practitioners What MB2 Dental has become today. Dr. Akhil believes that you have to understand, motivate, and care for your employees to be successful. He also reads and listens to audio books especially in his car when there is traffic. He says that listening to these educative audio books equips his knowledge and makes the ride home interesting. He recommends everyone to read How to Win and Influence People, which is an inspiration book. Dr. Akhil does not neglect his social life by spending his weekends with his loved ones.

Brian Bonar is a prominent and successful financial expert who is based in San Diego. Currently Mr. Bonar is the executive leader of Trucept Inc. He has served as executive of numerous companies such as Dalrada Financial Corporation, IBM, QMS, Adaptec and Bezier Systems. Brian Bonar has skills and expertise in developing innovative marketing strategies, M&A, business development, lead generation and technology development.

Brian Bonar’s Education Background

Mr. Bonar graduated from James Watt Technical College with a Technical Engineering Degree. He then joined Stafford College for his Masters in Mechanical Engineering. He also has a Ph.D. The strong education background is the basis of his success as a business executive as well as financial expert. He is skilled and experienced in the formation of effective business structure that can be relied on leverage an entity.

Bonar’s Achievements and Career Background

Brian Bonar kicked-off his career at IBM’s procurement department. The company specialized in production of computers, and Brian was assigned the role of outsourcing motherboards. He left IBM and was recruited at QMS to serve as Director of Engineering. Mr. Bonar worked at the company for four years, where he managed a group of about 100 professionals responsible for developing IT systems. In mid-1989, Brian Bonar was hired by Rastek Corporation to serve as VP Sales and Marketing. He marketed and sold the company’s printing technology around the world.After leaving Rastek, Mr. Bonar decided to focus more on the printing industry. He was hired by Adaptec as its sales manager, where he closely worked with major printer manufacturers from Japan and Korea. In September 1994, Brian founded Bezier Systems and took the role of Chief Executive Officer. Having enjoyed a successful career in the printing industry, Mr. Bonar led Bezier Systems in the production of the first SCSI based printer. One year after founding his company, Brian Bonar joined ITEC Imaging Technologies, producers of printers in Japan and Korea, where he served as VP Sales and Marketing. He stayed at the company for four years.

During his tenure at ITEC, Brian Bonar also founded AMS Outsourcing and Dalrada Financial Services. He had founded Dalrada in 1999. The company specialized in developing effective management strategies that improved direct sales. In 2011, Brian Bonar joined Trucept Inc. as its CEO and Chairman. Trucept specializes in providing insurance and recruitment services to San Diego based companies. As a financial institution, Trucept help small and mid-level companies to manage their payrolls by proposing sustainable employee benefits and human resource management strategies. Trucept helps the companies put effort on their business aspects while it handles the rest. Trucept also helps companies with risk assessment and management, which is very critical element of operating a successful enterprise.

When you really think about it, every person in the world has a story to tell. However, some people’s stories are naturally more intriguing than others’. For those who are fascinated by the world of business and of achieving success in the world, the life of Dr. Scott Rocklage is sure to be of interest. Between his exceptional educational attainments, his extensive research and development experience and his history of entrepreneurship and life science venture investing, Rocklage is a formidable force. As if that isn’t enough, he enjoys a wonderful personal life that includes a strong marriage, close relationships with adult children and plenty of golfing and fun in the sun.

Through the years, Scott Rocklage has worked for or been associated with a dizzying array of organizations. To this very day, he is associated with many different companies and corporations. However, he devotes most of his time these days to his work as a managing partner at 5AM Ventures, a venture capital firm. Rocklage came on board with 5AM Ventures in 2003. Initially, he was a venture partner. In 2004, however, he became a managing partner and has been one ever since. It does not appear that he plans to leave his post any time soon.

Why has Scott Rocklage stuck with 5AM Ventures for so long? Mostly because it allows him to make the most of his considerable education and experience. At the venture capital firm, Rocklage employs a hands-on approach to helping to develop and promote untraditional solutions to diagnosing, treating and preventing medical conditions of all kinds. In his work with the firm, he works directly with many different types of entrepreneurs. He comes into regular contact with physicians, scientists, business executives and many others. The work suits him well, as he has a naturally curious mind and is always willing and able to discuss innovative ideas with new people and learn more about Scott Rocklage.

Scott Rocklage has a very strong education in science. After excelling throughout high school, he applied to and was admitted at the University of California at Berkeley. UC Berkeley is known for its competitive and first-rate chemistry program. After four years of intense work and studying, Rocklage graduated with a bachelor of science in chemistry. The ambitious young man wasn’t satisfied yet. He applied to and was accepted into the prestigious graduate chemistry program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At MIT, he worked in the famed Schrock group under Nobel Prize winner Richard R. Schrock and resume him.

In 1982, Scott Rocklage graduated with a PhD in chemistry from MIT. Needless to say, that was a major achievement in and of itself, as MIT is one of the most prestigious institutes of higher learning in the world. Since he had been back in Greater Boston for some time, Rocklage decided to stay put while embarking on his professional career. Initially, he delved into the world of research and assumed a role as a leader of a small research group. It didn’t take long for him to realize that strict research wasn’t really right for him and more information click here.

Thanks to his gregarious nature and excellent communication skills, Scott Rocklage never had any trouble in the world of business. He already knew this about himself but only realized that he needed to work in business after starting out on the science side of things. He made the switch to the business world instead by becoming CEO of a company that specialized in MRI imaging agents. From there, he rapidly moved up through the ranks. He served as president and CEO of Nycomed Salutar from 1986 until 1989, and he served as chairman and CEO of Cubist Pharmaceuticals from 1994 until 2003, which is also when he came on board with 5AM Ventures.

Scott Rocklage has more than three decades of experience in the healthcare management sphere. During that time, his work has been instrumental in achieving FDA approval of three U.S. New Drug Applications for Omniscan, Cubicin and Teslascan. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers through the years, and he is listed as an inventor or co-inventor on more than 30 U.S. patents. He has served on the boards of numerous biopharmaceutical firms and continues to act in this capacity for Relypsa, K2, Novira, Kinestral and Rennovia.

Although he is a native of Greater Boston, Scott Rocklage also spends a lot of his time down in Florida. He has homes in both Jupiter, FL, and Sudbury, MA. He and his wife Patty have been married for more than 30 years. They have three adult children and many grandchildren. They stay busy by traveling, playing golf and by promoting causes that are dear to their hearts. Scott and Patty are often seen spending time at the Loxahatchee Club, where they enjoy hitting the links and socializing with friends. Rocklage has not stated when he plans to retire full time, but it probably won’t be anytime soon and Scott Rocklage’s lacrosse camp.

In the PRWeb article, the prestigious One Planet Business and Professional Excellence Awards named Troy McQuagge as 2016’s CEO of the Year. The global awards program celebrates the excellence of professionals and businesses in each industry around the world and more information click here.

Start-ups, public and private, for-profit and non-profit organizations from all over the world are eligible and encouraged to submit nominations. The honors are currently categorized into sections such as PR, Marketing, exutives, teams, new products and services, and Corporate Communications and Troy of Twitter.

When the CEO of the Year joined USHealth in 2010, he decided to upgrade the USHEALTH Advisors. Mr. Troy McQuagge’s success in reforming the captive distribution agency ushered him into being elected President and CEO of USHEALTH Group, Inc. in 2014. Throughout his appearance as CEO, Mr. McQuagge led USHEALTH Group, Inc. to remarkable growth within the competitive individual health insurance market.

He claims the award belongs to everyone in the company as a testimony to their commitment to solve the health insurance affordability issue. Through innovative coverage that advances according to their healthcare needs, USHEALTH Group, Inc. seeks to end the affordability problem.

After receiving his B.A. degree from the University of Central Florida in 1983, Troy McQuagge began his career at Allstate Insurance Company. After twelve years, he moved on to the Student Insurance Division of United Insurance Companies Inc. Two years later, he was named President of their insurance agency, UGA. During his leadership, UGA set a variety of sales records. In 2006, UICI was acquired by private equity investors and Troy McQuagge led the sales and marketing endeavors for the company’s self-employed group.

Mr. McQuagge became president of HealthMarket’s Agency Marketing group in 2007, directing the company to over $1 billion in sales. The company was awarded the Insurance Sales Organization of the Year by the Stevie Awards and Selling Power Magazine.

In 2010, Mr. McQuagge joined USHEALTH Advisors as its President and CEO. In 2013, he became the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing officer of USHEALTH Group, Inc. and quickly rose to the President and CEO of USHEALTH Group, Inc. by 2014 and learn more about Troy.

Troy McQuagge is the CEO of USHEALTH Group, Inc., and not long ago, he won the award as the year’s CEO. The award was given by the prestigious One Planet Awards. He was rewarded for his professionalism and business excellence. Troy McQuagge was honored as the winner from a list of Public and private; small to large and profit to nonprofit organizations who had submitted their names. Hence, the award is evident that his contribution to USHEALTH is beyond expectations.

In 2010, after McQuagge joined USHEALTH, he was tasked with turning the company around. He was expected to rebuild the USHEALTH Advisors as well as the company’s captive distribution agency. In 2014, his efforts in the firm got noticed and he was elected the CEO and the President to the firm. Under McQuagge’s leadership, USHEALTH Group, Inc. has been registering unprecedented profits, growth as well as success in the competitive health insurance industry.According to Mr. Mcguagge, being recognized in such a great platform was a great milestone in his career. On receiving the award, Troy said that it belonged to every USHEALTH Group Inc. member. Troy McQuagge continued to say that the award was a testament to the firm’s progressing commitment in solving healthcare problem of affordability for consumers. Also, he said that the award would act as an encouragement to the firm’s continued journey of providing affordable healthcare services.

About USHEALTH Group, Inc.

The USHEALTH Group, Inc. is based in Ft. Worth. The insurance company provides new and broad health coverage programs for small business holders as well as self-employed people. USHEALTH combines its agents and employees talents to market profitable and competitive insurance products. The company also offers innovative customers service in all aspects of the operations of the firm.

About Troy McQuagge

Troy McQuagge is an entrepreneur and executive from Panama City. Mr. McQuagge is a former student of the University of Central Florida. He lives in Coppell town where he works as an advisor (for the USHEALTH Group Inc.). He started his career in 1983 with the Allstate Insurance Company. In 1995, McQuagge joined United Insurance Companies Inc. students division of insurance. After two years, he was elected the agency’s head. During his reign, the firm recorded various single-year growth records. Troy later became the organization’s sales and marketing head.

Troy McQuagge has proven to be self-driven and dynamic sales expert. His over-30 years’ experience in the same industry has ensured his exceptional results in turnarounds, start-ups as well as high growth firms. His smart judgmental skills are evident in how he handles various complex problems. Among his skills are also world class communication skills as well as the ability to provide motivation and leadership to cross-cultural and multi-functional teams.

In 2013 Eric and Liz Lefkofsky, the Chicago-based husband and wife philanthropic team
pledged to give away half of their fortune. Some might take one look at this mild-mannered wiry man with salt and pepper hair and question the validity of the offer. Don’t get it twisted, he can back it up, and if you live in Chicago you could very well receive it. Eric Lefkofsky is a man of immense wealth. Forbes has estimated his worth at $750 million. That fact alone catches the attention of everyone when his name or foundation is mentioned. Eric Lefkofsky and his wife take seriously the duty of giving back to the community. He is one of the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, and he and his wife are dedicated to civic and humanitarian causes especially when they involve their hometown of Chicago.

Born in Detriot, Michigan in 1969, Lefkofsky is the son of an engineer and school teacher. He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, and he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. Lefkofsky began his career very humbly selling carpet. After law school, he and a friend borrowed enough money from relatives to buy a clothing company. From there his career took a meteoric climb that has ultimately led him to successfully found over seven entrepreneurial ventures. StarBelly, one of his first ventures, made tools for building websites. He sold his interest in that company in 2000 for $240 million. Two other ventures, Inner Workings and Echo Global Logistics have gone public. Inner Workings provides printing capabilities over the web, while Echo Global Logistics is a transportation and logistics outsourcing business.

Eric Lefkofsky believes in the power technology and the internet to update an industry and keep it on the cutting edge. His book Accelerated Disruption talks about utilizing this power. “Disruptive businesses are born everyday,” he says in the book. What is a disruptive business? One that has a great idea that offers better choices, better prices, more convenience, and could possibly remake an industry. The business, however, fails, because the owner didn’t factor into his plan how technology’s fast pace can create a rival over night. The book essentially is about developing your business while keeping an eye on the fast pace of technological advances.

Lefkofsky’s objective is to take and use technology in any concern that affects mankind. That concept is most interestingly applied to his work with Tempus. Tempus is a company that has built operating systems used to fight cancer. The goal is to use data and machines as learning tools that will harness and analyze analytical and therapeutic data so that physicians will be empowered and able to make real time decisions about patient care.